Startups and Investors Have Discovered Logistics

While logistics is not a sphere of business where startups grow like mushrooms after the rain, if something grows and ripens, it is worth it.

Simona Kijonková founded Zásilkovna in 2010, which changed the world of online shopping in the Czech Republic. Then there is Shipito, whose founder with roots in the Czech Republic used the potential of online shopping in America, helping goods from the States reach customers elsewhere in the world. Last year ShipVio was launched by André Dravecky.

Eliminate Losses

André was not a newcomer to logistics, as he has been in it since childhood, a sector in which his parents do business in. He also gained experience in foreign haulage. “I’ve always enjoyed technology, and logistics has lagged behind. Orders are still made by fax, which is outdated in 2017. Great inefficiencies bother me. According to Eurostat, 47% of road transport have some spare capacity, which costs companies 130 billion euros in the EU. There are also a number of intermediaries who only sell the shipments without added value,” he explained when describing what motivated him to set up a company to resolve these losses in logistics.

According to him, the use of autonomous vehicles will be expanded in the future. “At ShipVio we want to become a platform that will be a smart dispatcher to utilize these cars so more than one company can share the cargo space at once thus eliminating the existing losses in logistics” he added.

Technology is Changing the World and Changing Logistics

According to André Dravecky, startups and technology are literally changing the world. “It’s interesting that logistics has been excluded so far. It’s not a very sexy field and it’s also very hard to succeed in it. It’s necessary to have some knowledge and experience to understand what people really need in logistics and how technology can help them,” he explained.

At the same time, he pointed out that the situation is changing and now is the time when the eyes of both investors and startups focusing on logistics. “We can expect massive investments in innovative startups in the coming years. It’ll be very important for the startups to work together and share their experiences because they can really do big things,” said the entrepreneur, according to whom the technology will completely change logistics.

This is happening at Mall.cz, for example. The online retailer has begun working with the Prague startup DoDo Czech, a courier service that allows e-shops to deliver their goods to customers on the same day of ordering them. The couriers not only use cars, but also public transport or go by foot – according to the need and distance. DoDo Express Service operates in Prague and offers same day delivery of goods in Brno and Bratislava. In the future, this possibility should be extended further.

Inspiration in America

When André Dravecky follows the world of logistics startups, he points to Convoy, which he calls the American equivalent of ShipVio. Convoy has its headquarters in Seattle and, according to its website, primarily believes that technology can dramatically improve transport – an industry that has an impact on almost everyone in America.

You can go to Sunnyvale in Silicon Valley, California to find other logistics startups, where Plug and Play is a platform that supports new, promising and innovative companies. For example, Deliv is in its portfolio, which is a project focusing on delivering goods to customers on the day of the order. There is also Matternet, a company that deals with using drones in logistics, and Shippo is focused on clever haulage.